Lighting systems designed to improve safety in theaters, planetariums, aircraft and auditoriums are known. In particular, lighting systems which illuminate walkways, stairs and handrails are known in the art. One area which has not been improved is lighting which enhances visibility of objects while maintaining an intended overall low-level lighting environment and minimizing the direct projection of light into a person's eyes.
Some theaters and auditoriums employ overhead lighting to provide sufficient illumination of objects such as playbills. Such lighting systems suffer disadvantages. First, overhead lighting scatters within the theater or auditorium, thereby increasing ambient light levels and interfering with a person's ability to view a movie or show. Second, even if scattering is minimized by limiting the size and quantity of overhead lighting, a human viewer must hold an object such as a playbill up to the light to be able to see the object. Looking up at the light prevents a viewer's eyes from adjusting to the ambient low-level lighting, thus preventing the viewer from fully enjoying the movie or show.
Lighting systems used in exhibits of nocturnal creatures in museums are also generally only used as safety aids to improve the visibility and illumination of walkways therein.
Instrument panels of aircraft flown at night are known to be equipped with post-lights that emit red light downwardly toward the instrument panel but not upwardly directly toward the eyes of a pilot.
Thus, there remains a need for a low-level lighting system for theaters, planetariums and auditoriums that permits a person to read a playbill, star chart or other written material while maintaining the low-level lighting environment.